Success Stories

"As Vice President of Operations, of a midsized construction company, I have enjoyed the experience as depicted within Effective Leadership. As with many companies, there are plenty of challenges and objectives. This outline has opened my eyes and thoughts, reiterating the understanding of what it truly means and takes to be an efficient, effective and professional manager. I look forward to using and implementing the information supplied.

"I am taking Principles of Leading Transformational Nonprofits and have enjoyed Dr. Ricke-Kiely's interactive online teaching style. Our virtual classes have been absolutely amazing. The classroom included tech support as well as classmates from other parts of the country. Dr. Ricke-Kiely's knowledge, experience and subject matter expertise were outstanding. Her ability to reference the other recorded lectures and bring them into our virtual lectures made things really come together. This course is a must for anyone in nonprofit leadership."

"Negotiation Essentials was outstanding, more than I could have hoped for with the content and ease of understanding of the video lectures on CD, the weekly simulations and reviews and reading that was not overwhelming heavy or voluminous. What I learned was significant. My negotiating capability is not just slightly improved but decidedly so and will greatly aid me in my business pursuits and personal relationships as well. I believe applying what I learned in this one class will bring an exponential return on my monetary and time investment. I recommend it highly to others considering the class. Very impressed by Notre Dame, Dr.'s Paulson and Holt and University Alliance. Thank you for making this program available. It was exactly what I was seeking. "

"Principles of Business was excellent and has done so much to augment my current position as General Manager/CAO. I have learned so much from my weekly sessions with Janet that I look forward to Mondays. If you need to enhance your experience with a highly informative and interactive learning environment, look no further!"

"I manage 39 people at a remote location in Turkey as part of the US Missile Shield and to say your classes on Leadership, Negotiation, and Conflict Resolution were life changing would be putting it mildly. I have learned to lead to vision, I have learned to how to negotiate for what our site needs, and the one class that has effected me more than any other, I have learned how to make my people feel safe with me and amongst themselves. I have lived and worked all over the world for the last 35 years and by far this is the toughest location I have ever found myself. I also know that this would be so much tougher without the tools you have afforded me to succeed. I really would like to thank you that.

As a by product your classes also aided me in grooming someone to take my place for a week so I was able to travel to Dublin and watch the big win. As a lifelong Irish fan and I just can't thank you enough for that as well."

"The Executive Certificate in Business Administration program through the University of Notre Dame was extremely valuable because I am currently managing a sales force of 12 sales reps that cover over 1,800 retail outlets. Having the knowledge and ability to apply what I learned directly back to my team the next day was invaluable. I am able to utilize the knowledge, concepts, thoughts and ideas from this online program in real life. I highly recommend becoming a "Golden Domer" and taking the classes."

"Notre Dame's online classes have enabled me to prepare for important challenges I'll face as a leader. They also helped prepare me for an interview for a promotional opportunity within my organization. I achieved a two-level promotion!"

"Excellent information presented in an easy-to-understand format. The Notre Dame online classroom was easy to navigate and the live sessions provided an excellent opportunity to interface directly with the professors and other participants. I learned many new concepts and now have a perspective on how to target my efforts. The program faculty had tremendous knowledge and insight. Overall, I thought this was a great course. The price was reasonable and my time was well spent. I fully intend to take the remaining two courses and complete my Executive Certificate in Business Administration."

“I have served in the military for almost 30 years and, as a senior leader, have attended myriad leadership courses. After retiring from the U.S. Army a few years back, I became a military instructor, and have since risen to Senior Program Manager, with the responsibility of managing two other managers and hundreds of people.

Although I already consider myself to be a successful manager, Notre Dame’s online Leadership and Management program so far has been delightful; it’s reinforcing practices I already understood and observed historically and within my day-to-day work, while simultaneously helping me identify my shortcomings and evolve as a leader and manager. I found the mediation lectures to be of particular interest. I am delighted with what we have studied thus far, and look forward to the rest of the program keenly.

Thanks – I am really, REALLY enjoying it!”

“The initial course of three that I am taking has helped tremendously in my company’s daily operations. As a professional already involved in multiple negotiations that leverage everything from people, material costs and logistics to method of application and incremental value assessments, I’ve found the first eight-week course alone has refined my abilities and is well worth the investment. Professor Paulson's in-depth course guidance and participation especially made this worthwhile. I look forward to continuing on with the next of three!”

“This program was outstanding – it has and will continue to assist me with my success as a manager in today’s business world. I have already used several of the sessions to assist in the education of mid-level managers below me.”

“It was a wonderful course that has helped me improve myself, and understand my own needs and the needs of others as well. I’ve improved my way of thinking and recognize the importance of motivating others and taking reasonable time to deal with conflicts. Leadership and Management is not only about being a BOSS, it is a great opportunity to hold others’ hands and move forward for a better future. I enjoyed it very much. Great material and excellent teachers.”

“My experience with this program has been very helpful. I just finished my MBA before starting the program because I wanted to make sure I understood the concepts. What I found was that several topics were not covered in my MBA program, or not covered in as much detail. This class has taught me a great deal about business strategies/disciplines and has taken my education one step further. I also like the streaming videos and the live chat we have every week. Being able to actually speak to the professor is a very good added bonus when taking an online program of any type. I would recommend this program to anyone.”

“I must say that I particularly enjoyed the presentation from Professor Mike Crant, PhD, on "Managing for Results" during week 4 of the course. After reviewing how effective managers motivate people, I looked at one of my employees and spent some time identifying the factors that lead to differences in his job performance. I had noticed that, while performing different job duties, the employee's performance would vary. This employee – I'll call him "Max" – had started over 10 years ago in this position, but over the years, the job description changed and incorporated more and more administrative functions. By looking at his personality in a little more depth, I realized that Max enjoyed the hands-on part of the job and was extremely good at it but did not care for the administrative part. By making some adjustments, I managed to get Max motivated again and his job satisfaction went up. By implementing a motivational plan, I increased my employee's job performance. Thanks!”

“I am a network manager, and negotiate hospital and IPA agreements. I absolutely loved this program, and have gained a wealth of knowledge from it. All of the classes were relevant to what I do every day, and although I have been in my role for many years, I learned many new strategies and techniques. I could set my own pace for the course, which made it convenient, as I could do the work on the evenings or weekends. Between watching the recorded lectures, the partner simulations and the live events, I spent about 4-5 hours per week on coursework.

Gaylen Paulson, the main instructor, was incredible. He made the material interesting and easy to understand. I don’t think anyone else could do a better job. I would definitely recommend this program and/or University Alliance to a friend/colleague. It far exceeded my expectations, and has helped me with my career.”

“As a small business owner, I can say that 100% of the material in this program is relevant to me. I'm so glad that I made the decision to register. Even if you are already aware of many of the concepts presented, completing this program will "connect the dots" and will validate the importance of what you know and what you need to do. It certainly has for me. And by applying these practices, my interactions with people have already improved.”

“Great course, great exercises, great experience! I was able to incorporate lessons learned in my job before even finishing the course. The most significant (to date) was finding an amicable solution with a landowner, which allowed us to continue project development and address the counterparty's concerns without setting an unauthorized industry precedent. The course gives you multiple exercises to enhance, refine and practice your negotiation skills in a progressively challenging manner. From preparation techniques to closing the deal, this course shows you how to get results.”

“When enrolling into the Notre Dame professional development program, I anticipated that the knowledge gained would enable me to contribute with a higher level of effectiveness for my company; I was right. I now feel better prepared to offer opinions, develop decisions and implement actions which will deliver the intended results. My satisfaction in my work has elevated to a higher level. Registering in the Notre Dame program has been one of the best decisions of my career.”

“The online classes through the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza School of Business are second to none! This was the first time I had taken a class online, and I was extremely pleased with the support from the professors. The lectures were presented in a easy-to-understand format, yet each challenged my thinking! I have no doubt the lessons I learned from Notre Dame will help provide a great road map for success in the future! I could not have asked for a better experience!”

“My experience with this online course has been wonderful. Having the flexibility provided has allowed me to broaden my educational opportunities, which other more traditional environments would not allow. I found the content of the course to be very applicable to my current role in my organization. It has also provided me with additional information to further my career. I look forward to continuing my education online. Thank you.”

“I work for a semiconductor company, where I hold the title Site Training Manager. While I've held this position for over three years, I'm still considered a junior middle manager, as the rest of my colleagues have been in the same roles for many, many years. Previously, I've struggled to obtain what I would call a reasonable level of respect from some of my more senior peers. The one thing I've noticed is that we both want the same end result, but face conflicts and obstacles in deciding which way to get there. As a result of this course – in particular the “Getting to Yes” module in the Effective Leadership course– I now feel like I do a better job with listening to the other party’s wants and needs.”

“I just wanted to let the staff there at University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business and University Alliance know that I really enjoyed taking the online course Effective Leadership. From the very start, I learned materials and concepts that were very beneficial; I was able to apply many of them immediately. This course was really loaded with great information. In fact, I am going to go back and watch the entire lecture series again. Thank you.”

“The course has helped me become a better manager of people and has shown me the difference between being a manager and being a leader. I have already been able to implement some of the techniques that were explained regarding positive reinforcement and punishment.

Currently I am working with an employee who has a great many personal problems that are now affecting her job performance. By using some of the techniques described within this program, I am able to assist her in becoming a valuable employee. It’s a great course.”

“The trio of 8-week courses was compelling, real-world pertinent and served as an excellent skill-sharpening vehicle. I learned concepts and approaches to negotiating and resolving conflicts that I had not necessarily applied in my 25+ years in business – tools that will serve me for years to come.”

“You folks at Notre Dame have done us execs a great service in putting this program together. It enabled me to objectively assess my job performance. Plus it made me realize that small changes to my management style can help me achieve greater effectiveness when managing large corporations and teams. I am planning to sign up for more of these courses and will get my managers enrolled in them, as well. Great work – thank you.”

“The online negotiation classes beat anything I’ve seen. I feel like I'm a part of an actual classroom because of the class roster, the fact that I can view and listen to streaming video lectures and attend live events with the rest of the class. Also, the over-the-phone negotiations were a great idea. With the role-playing of actual scenarios, I'm getting real negotiation experience without any risk of failure.”

“This is my first time taking an online class, and it’s absolutely wonderful – the instructors are great and the program is very well put together. The experience has opened my mind and broadened my vision with respect to leadership and management issues. My hat goes off to the school, the professors and everybody involved. This program has made me a better person ... not only on a personal level, but in my profession, as well. I plan to pursue a Negotiation certificate after the Leadership and Management class has concluded.”

“Thank you for an excellent educational experience. I’ve completed other certificate programs and attended a prestigious leadership institute prior to enrolling in Notre Dame, and I’ve found that your program has far exceeded the others in terms of practical information, course delivery method and overall usefulness. I’ve just been appointed Chief Medical Officer for an 80-physician medical group in the suburbs of Chicago, and I believe my Notre Dame coursework figured prominently into that achievement.”

“Thanks for sharing your knowledge with all of us. I have been using many of the negotiation techniques with our supply base and we are creating better agreements that meet the interests of both parties because of it. I look forward to the next session. Thanks again!”

“I gained a fundamental understanding of negotiation that I was able to immediately put to practice. I was very impressed with the benefits of the program! It was a great experience that helped me and my team develop essential negotiation skills.”

“Great program! I thoroughly enjoyed the negotiation courses and have found the content to be very useful in many different types of situations. The instructors were knowledgeable and their lectures were very easy to listen to.”

“Professor Paulson is an outstanding facilitator with a genuine style that invites open discussion. This program fit my business needs, teaching concepts that I now use in work-related negotiations as well as personal ones.”

“Because I am not tied down to a classroom, I don't have to say 'no' to any work assignments or family commitments. My son and home are in Vienna, Austria. My parents live in Denver, Colorado, U.S.A. And, my work often involves projects in Africa. Wherever life takes me, I just pack up my studies and go. It's the ultimate in distance learning.”

“I really enjoy the opportunity to work at my own pace and schedule 'class work' around family and career obligations. The quality of instruction is tremendous – I can honestly say that I have already benefited a great deal from all that I have learned.”

“The online class is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. I can email the professor or my classmates with questions and receive instant feedback. I can complete my assignments at my pace while I work full time. The program offers flexibility and convenience.”

“After one introductory course, I was hooked; these are 'real' people who put forth the effort to connect and get to know the students via a non-traditional medium. I am impressed with the level of commitment that the instructors convey and how each one has succeeded in communicating support and guidance.”

“I found the combination of the streaming video and workbook to be just what I needed to maintain focus. The lectures were easy to understand and the presentation well done by the teaching staff. Being able to work on the assignments any time, night or day, allowed me maximum flexibility with my schedule. This was my first online course, and it was such a satisfying experience, I will be doing more.”